Planning on travelling – where should you go first?

November 15, 2017

If you’re like us you’ll want to see EVERYTHING! So narrowing this down and deciding where to start can be tricky. As it’s not possible to see everything all at once (and why would you want to!) when deciding where to go there are a few questions you can ask yourself first. Once you’ve narrowed that down, you can begin planning the rest. Here’s what you should consider:

1. How do I want to travel?

Danny had always wanted to drive to Portugal, so for our first trip together we decided we’d do a road trip. So one of the first things you should consider is how you want to travel. There are of course going to be limitations depending on where you want to go, it would take a lot of time (and additional transport) to drive from the UK to the US, for example. You can always hire a car or use additional transport once you’ve set off, but picking your primary mode of transport is a great way to find your starting point. So first decide do you want to fly, drive, cycle or take the train?

2. What’s reasonable right now?

Next important question is ‘what’s feasible right now?’ The answer might be anything, if so that’s great! But if you’re short on time or finances it’s best to plan your trip accordingly. Think about the places that are quicker to get to, perhaps closer to home, or cheaper to live in – this will help to narrow down your options.

3. Who am I going with?

If you’re travelling alone you only have yourself to please, easy! But if you’ve chosen to travel with a friend, partner, group or even a stranger, they’ll have some input into your chosen destination. Have a chat with them and find out what kind of trip they’d like to go on, the activities they might like to do or places they’re desperate to see. You might find you want to do many of the same things.

4. Is there something, or somewhere I’ve always wanted to see?

Heard about an amazing lake in America that you just have to see? Or a beautiful town in France that you’ve always wanted to visit? If there’s something that has been on your bucket list for a while, take this into consideration when you begin choosing your first destination. If you know there are 100 things you’d like to see in the US, then start there! Having these specific points in mind will give you direction during your planning, but also when you arrive.

5. Is there something (other than travelling) that I’m passionate about?

Are you a keen surfer? Perhaps Portugal. Or a fashionista? Maybe Italy. Whatever your interests are you can use these to help you choose your destination. Do your research into the things your passionate about beforehand, and you might find some places that you hadn’t even considered before!

Planning a trip is so exciting, especially if you love making a good list like we do! But sometimes it’s so hard to find a starting point – the world is a huge place after all. Considering these questions beforehand can really help you to narrow down where you want to start. And if you’re lucky enough, you can continue on until you’ve crossed very place off your bucket list!